So far, we’ve talked about our philosophies and views on the refresh. What’s worth noting is how we got to where we are so far. That is the point of this blog, after all: to shed more light on what can seem like a mysterious and secretive process.
The truth is, there should be no mystery. The development of the next phase of the Web site already started months (years?) ago. We’ve done surveys, campus forums (which if you couldn’t attend, you can still listen to), and created a Web Tastemakers group on campus. The surveys have talked to faculty, staff, and students. Oh, and let’s not forget looking at lots and lots of stats. All of these, coupled with our experiences over the last (for me) seven years at Buffalo State, have provided a wealth of information about what the college does/doesn’t want or need from its Web site. We’ve also had to keep pace with the ever-evolving Web.
One thing you may have noticed is that we’re (usually) calling this a “refresh” rather than a “redesign”. Why? Well, because the Web industry has realized that gutting your site top to bottom is often an unwelcome experience for visitors, even if it does please decision-makers. What makes more sense is to gradually tweak one’s site. As the old song goes: accentuate the positive / rewrite in a more modern Web scripting language the negative.
This philosophy is detailed at length at A List Apart. You may notice that this article is from 2005. The fact is, since 2005, we’ve wanted to do more of this. The problem is, there’s always things to add, redesign, upgrade, or install. Which isn’t a complaint! Just a fact: the Web has a lot of exciting and interesting things in it, and we want to bring them to you.
So now, finally, we’re bringing you our blog and the refresh. This blog is another tool for you to share your thoughts with us—negative as well as positive—about the direction the Buffalo State Web site is going. In case you’re wary of a blog’s ability to affect real change, note the following fact: based on comments on the TSA’s new blog, they changed their policy on carry-on electronics. A win for the people!
Now, we may not be the TSA (we are a much smaller operation, and rarely search our visitors’ bags), but we are listening. If you’ve got something to say, say it. If there’s something you want to hear more about, drop a line in the comments below. I think it’s clear by now that we’re always looking for input.
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